A case study integrating in-situ monitoring data and numerical simulation method to slope stability assessment of a remote village in southwest Taiwan

The Baoshan Village, a remote village deep in southwest Taiwan, is located near the Tengjhih National Forest Recreation Area. The strata at the site of this study belong to the Miocene Changshan Formation. Its lithology is mainly slate, occasionally intercalated with thin sandstone layers, and the Chaochou Fault passes through it on the east side. Headward erosion and weathering effects made landfall while heavy rainfall and typhoons hit Taiwan. Typhoon Morakot (2009) impacted Taiwan and brought catastrophic damage. Landslides and significant damage happened in the Baoshan Village neighborhood. This study compiles the long-term in-situ monitoring data of the Baoshan Village from 2018 to the present. Monitoring results show that the east side of the Baoshan Elementary School has an apparent slide surface at a depth of 46m. The limit equilibrium method is adopted for the numerical simulation of slope stability by the digital elevation model (DEM), site investigations, and monitoring data. Results show that Baoshan Village contains many potential slide surfaces distributed in different areas, three of which have high potential sliding surfaces. The assessment of slope stability analysis can provide a tremendously meaningful reference for disaster mitigation of Baoshan Village.